Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls 叮噹聲:神奇肉桂卷

If you've been reading my blog, you know my baking skills. It's pretty minimal. I am bad at following recipes, and generally can't do more than muffins. What the heck, I can even screw up muffins. This is why I hardly try anything more complicated that mixing stuff in a bowl and dumping them into the oven. This was an exception.
大家有睇開我個Blog都知我唔係阿茂, 所以唔係咁識整餅. 我嘅極限就只係整鬆餅啦..就算整鬆餅, 我都試過賴野..

Back in my college days in Jakarta, I buy cinnamon rolls from Cinnabon from time to time. Sweet and sticky on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside. I miss cinnamon rolls so much, I decided to do the unthinkable and try to make some myself. God help me.
細個係雅加達讀書時成日去Cinnabon 買肉桂卷食. 出面又甜同黏, 裏面就軟同鬆化. 真係另人好懷念. 我決定自己試整, 希望成功啦!


I followed Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls recipe, because...well, she always makes everything sound so doable and extremely yummy! How did it go?...
今次跟Pioneer Woman個食譜, 因為之前試過幾次都成功

I couldn't believe myself! I did it!
一路整我都唔相信會成功, 因為個樣同完成圖差好遠..但係一焗完, 嘩, 似模似樣!!

Sweet, sticky, fragrant, buttery, golden brown, super yummy, not to mention extremely photogenic!
超好味, 大家如果得閑, 記得試吓

Not Just Another Lunch 住家菜之-最好味既越式炸蛋同焦糖雪糕

During the Easter weekend, we set aside a day for a potluck/takeaway/cooking/eating/whatever lunch at my humble dung hole :D
復活節既另一個攪作, 就係開左個住家菜party, 大家自攜食物/飲料去我極細既屋企開party

We ate, we took photos (mostly of the food and the baby, food bloggers often forget to take people photos), we talked (a lot) about 3D porn, we tried to play with baby Marcus who was at his crankiest (uh oh!), we forgot that we had booze and cake, there was something Hello Kitty (this is Hong Kong after all!), we had to walk sideways a lot because of the space (or lack thereof heheheh), in short, we had a lot of fun!
我地又食又影(主要係影野食同傲B. 一眾美食博客既弊病, 就係唔記得影人..). 個日我地不斷重温3D肉蒲團既劇情, 又睇吓邊個抱傲B會令到佢喊(小朋友怕生保). 玩到我地唔記開酒飲同o另個蛋糕出黎切...雖然空間有限, 好彩大家都玩得好開心!!! (而我[SC]就另左盒 Monopoly Deal出黎, 可惜大家都係太忙..)

What did we eat?
我地究竟食左的咩呢?

I made some simple food...
我整左D"簡單"菜..


Shrimp paste grilled chicken wings,
蝦醬焗雞翼


Chunky kering tempe (soybean cake in palm sugar, herbs & spices),
椰糖香草豆餅(印尼菜)


Fu yu (fermented bean curd) grilled pork neck,
腐乳焗豬頸肉


My helper's vegetable fritters,
工人姐姐整的炸雜菜餅(印尼菜)


Sambal terong (eggplant in Indonesian spicy chilli paste),
參峇茄子(印尼菜)


Beef rawon (Indonesian beef stew),
牛肉窩 (印尼菜)


Spicy, sweet and sour pickled pineapple, jicama & sweet potato.
雜菜沙律 (印尼菜)


Jen made these absolutely delicious Vietnamese Scotch Eggs!
呀JEN整的勁好食越式炸蛋


Perfectly cooked egg in flavorful, juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside pork "shell". SC said this is the best egg dish he's ever had, and nagged me every few minutes to get the recipe from Jen. Heheheh.
糖心蛋加外面焗到脆晒既豬肉包住, 我覺得真係好好食, 求呀JEN提供食譜


Gary made salted caramel ice cream. It's a perfection! SC said this is the best ice cream he's ever had! Trust be, he is not just being nice (I don't think he's capable of "just being nice". Heheheh)
Gary大哥既自家焦糖雪糕, 真係正到冇朋友..係我食過最好食既雪糕, 可惜第二啖已經冇左味(條脷麻醉左..)下次要一路食一路飲黑咖啡黎清清味蕾


HK Epicurus brought these Hello Kitty sweets to bribe baby Marcus! How clever of him! Baby Marcus didn't cry when he said hello. Cheeky cheeky smart Kelv :D
HK Epicurus 買左包hello kitty糖黎賄賂傲B, 傲B真係冇喊....

And because I'm just the most ridiculously stupid host ever, I forgot to take out these deliciousness to share...
被遺忘左既熊仔蛋糕, 多謝Jason!

Super cute polar bear cake from Jason,


Beer and mint choco chip ice cream from Fran,
被遺忘左既啤酒同雪糕


...and a bottle of rose from e*ting! I can't promise that we can keep this for next time...
被遺忘左既酒...

It was a lot of fun, we shall do it again soon!
幾時再有哩D party...好期待ing

Super Easy Savoury Bread Pudding Breakfast 整一個快過去廁所的早餐 - 麵包布丁

Something tasty and easy for a lazy weekend :)
Just the way I like it.
周末乜都唔想做, 但係又肚餓, 可以點?
一個又好味, 又容易整既麵包布丁


Recipe 
- 2 slices of bread, buttered generously, torn into pieces
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 chicken frank, sliced
- 1/2 cup cheese (I used cheddar)
- salt, pepper, nutmeg

食譜
- 2塊麵包, 搽滿牛油, 再"mit"爛佢去一細塊一細塊
- 2隻蛋, 打左佢
- 1/2 杯奶
- 1 條腸仔, 切細佢
- 1/2 杯芝士 (我用車打的)
- 鹽, 胡椒, 肉豆蔻

Heat up oven to 200C, pour everything except half of the cheese into a baking dish, top with the rest of the cheese, bake until the top's golden brown. I ate mine with tabasco and peppermint tea.
預熱個焗爐去200, 倒晒D野去個烤碟(除左芝士), 將D芝士放係面, 焗到個面金黃色為止
我自己鐘意加D辣椒仔同沖杯荼黎食, 正

Feel free to spice up yours, your way ;)

Tastifying A Bland Takeaway Fried Rice - 人生無take 2, 炒飯就有...XDDD

"When can I eat stuff like this, papa?"
"爸爸, 我叫時食得炒飯呀?:("

Remember the bland fried rice we had the other day?
大家仲記唔記得琴日Blog個齋鋪黃金炒飯?

It was so bland, we decided that there's no point wasting calories eating it, so we took it home.
因為個味太淡, 我地個日都冇乜點食, 打包返左屋企

And we tastified it.
炒飯有take 2開始

I added minced garlic, thinly sliced shallot, lots of minced pork (uh huh!), fish sauce, salt, and pepper, topped with crispy shallot...and...
我加左D蒜頭碎, 乾紅蔥, 好多好多豬肉碎(要同個廚講返對唔住, 我咁攪佢個飯XDD), 魚露, 鹽, 胡椒....


Hello, TASTY!
個take 2 左既炒飯即刻立體晒..

Nasi Goreng Rendang - Beef Rendang Fried Rice 印尼乾咖哩牛肉炒飯

If you want to enjoy rendang but can't be bothered to do the many hours of stewing the beef tender, grinding spices, etc etc etc...here's a quick and easy idea.
如果你想食乾咖哩牛肉, 但係又冇時間慢慢煮, 同將的材料切粒, 哩度就有一個超快既方法


This is starting to sound like an addiction eh? Turning stuff into fried rice. I am obsessed with it! But I can't help it. It's speedy, tasty, hearty and satisfying!
其實有乜容易過炒飯, 乜都放晒落去炒炒炒就係..唔使一樣一樣餸慢慢煮咁煩


Recipe
- 2 bowls of (ideally leftover) rice
- minced beef (use as much as you want until you reach the desired ratio of beef vs rice, I like my fried rice to have lots of meat. you can also use other kinds of meat)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 shallot, sliced thinly
- 1 chopped chilli
- 1 packet of rendang spice pack (I used Indofood), dissolved in a tiny bit of hot water
- a bit of cooking oil, pepper, salt
- freshly chopped coriander and crispy shallot as garnish (optional)
食譜
- 2 碗飯(最好就隔過夜, 容易炒D, 如果唔係會黏埋一齊)
-牛肉碎, 食幾多落幾多
-一塊蒜頭, 切細粒
-2個紅蔥頭切細片
-1隻辣椒, 切碎
-1包乾咖哩牛肉粉, 我用開哩隻 Indofood, 用熱水沖開左先
-油, 鹽, 胡椒
-新鮮芫茜同炸紅蔥頭乾(隨意)

Saute garlic, chilli, and shallot in a bit of cooking oil, add minced beef, add rendang seasoning, mix well, cook until the beef's done, add rice, mix well, adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if necessary. Garnish and serve.

用小小油炒起D蒜頭, 紅蔥頭, 落牛肉碎, 落乾牛肉咖哩粉, 攪勻佢, 煮到D牛肉差唔多得就落埋D飯落去, 攪勻佢, 落D鹽同胡椒粉調味, 加返D綠色既野伴碟 (蔥/芫茜)

What else can I turn into fried rice?
仲有D咩可以愛黎整炒飯呢?

Vegetarian Suckling Pig at Miu Fat Chai, Tsuen Wan - 帶左我個印尼工人去食乳豬

After a serious pigging out session the other day, we went for a vegetarian meal and ordered this vegetarian suckling pig. It surely isn't as good as the real thing, but it's...intriguing. It does have some qualities that remind us of real suckling pig, the crispy "skin" and the smoky roasted flavors. At least it should be good enough to satisfy the cravings of vegetarians who crave meat, or to impress diners who's never had mock meat before. I'd totally order this again.

前幾日食完三隻小豬仔, 今日又帶大家去食豬. 唔係普通既豬咁簡單, 而係仿真豬…(即用齋做既豬)

佢就當然冇真豬咁好食, 但係就咁睇落去, 真係真既一樣的!! 又有乳豬脆皮, 又有燒烤個味. 對素食者黎講, 都係一次過滿足你足有既願望! 哩個齋乳豬真係次次黎都叫的.

These "lion heads" were delicious! Very fluffy and light.

哩碟仿獅子頭, 裏面係炸豆腐來的, 正!

The golden "seafood" fried rice was very bland, since the cooking respects a certain Buddhist teaching, where pungent smelling plants are not supposed to be used as they're not supposed to serve anything that excites the senses. Thus, there's generally no garlic, no shallot and not much seasoning to the dishes. If you need more seasoning, salt and chilli sauce are available upon request.

個黃金炒飯就淡左D, 可能係比出家人食, 唔可以咁濃味. 如果唔夠味, 大家可以叫佢比D辣椒醬同監鹽, 成碟立體晒

Miu Fat Chai 妙法齋

G/F, 79 Ho Pui St, Tsuen Wan
荃灣河背街79號地下
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2412-0301

Yummy Roasted Baby Suckling Pig at Empire Kitchen 又可愛又好味既三隻小豬@皇悅小廚

Hello, piggies...come to papa!
黎啦, 豬仔, 黎爸爸度啦..XDD

You might think that Empire Kitchen is not exactly the creme of the crop of Hong Kong buffet destinations. You'd be surprised that getting a table was not as easy as we thought it'd be. We had to book two weeks in advance! When we arrived for an early dinner (we almost always have dinner before 7pm, we are practically senior citizens!), the place was quite full and it slowly filled up to a full house. Apparently, people get buy-one-get-one free vouchers from the newspaper. I think nobody goes to this place and pay full price. We went there armed with our free dinner vouchers too! Paying full price for something we can get discount out of...as the Hong Kongers would say is a "loss" (sit dai).
食家既各位可能未聽過皇悅小廚, 因為老老實實佢都唔係好出名. 但係你點估都估唔到哩個buffet要預早二個星期先book到..我地都算係早食dinner既(正常大概7pm食). 但係我地去到既時候已經差唔多爆滿..再過多一陣差唔多行去攞野食都去唔到 @.@ 我打去book位既時候已經聽到隠約聽到D咩報紙有乜乜coupon, 但係真係估唔到係咁噓冚..如果要比正價, 我諗應該冇乜人去..我地都係因為某D原因揸住張免費coupon入去既…


You can't compare this buffet line to those HK$500 a pop famous ones, but let me show you what I like from the spread.
如果你同其他HKD500蚊buffet比較既話, 你可能會有D失望, 但係其實都有D好好食既野架, 去片~

 The appetizers and the obligatory salmon sashimi...

頭盤同三文魚刺身

Don't bother. 
Hmm except for getting some vegetable intake for the night.

除左為廁所時間食幾條菜外

大家唔好上當晒左你個胃既quota

Mushroom soup with toast and some spring roll thingy with sweet chilli sauce.

蘑菇濃湯, 多士, 泰式春捲

I like. 

哩D都係我鐘意既

My top favorite is...

但係講到至愛


...the roasted baby suckling pig! French style...Spanish style...whatever style...it's absolutely delicious. More delicious than some well known ones I've tried. Seriously.

但係哩三隻小豬啦! 法式, 西班牙式…乜式都好啦, 老老實實, 真係好正.好食過晒我之前食過既豬仔!!

I discovered that after trying so many dishes that should've gone straight to the "don't bother" category.

其他野我食過一次都冇再安歌(encore)啦..

I went back for the pig again and again.

都係三隻小豬攪到我來來回回行左好多次..

And the chef behind the counter always gave me quite a generous portion, or maybe I was just lucky ;)

唔知係好彩定個廚師知道我鐘意食, 佢次次都比好大舊我..XDD
SC disagreed though. He thought the pig had "too much meat"

SC就話唔鐘意, 佢話太大舊肉喎..(因為我當佢中式燒肉咁食…)
For me, it's super tender and flavorful, the skin's not too crispy but acceptable, the fat's melt-in-the-mouth delicious and not excessive, with the sauce and mustard...perfect!

對我黎講, 就又”林”又多汁, 又有豬味, D皮又唔太脆(有D太脆會界口的). D肥位入口即熔, 同埋D芥辣一齊食真係完美!
This double boiled soup was nice too...

仲有仲有個正正中式潡雞湯

...but SC's mom can also make very nice soup la!
 Did I mention that I went back for the pig again and again?

但係SC呀媽都整到啦

講還講, 我有冇講我出左二十次浄係攞個豬仔? XDD

That potato thingy on the right was also delish. Very tender, very well seasoned, it has this chilli powder that made it taste like Calbee's spicy chips (what? is that not a good thing?), and it has caramelized onions and pepperonis. Yum!
個薯仔都好食, 有D好似食緊熱浪咁..
The dessert...

甜品黎講

...don't bother.
Seriously.
Just go for the pig.

都係算吧啦…

去都淨係食豬仔好了…

Empire Kitchen   皇悅小廚
1/F, The Empire Hotel Tsim Sha Tsui, 62 Kimberley Road
Tsim Sha Tsui尖沙咀金巴利道62號尖沙咀皇悅酒店1樓
Tel: +852 3692 2266

Strawberry Choco Chip Cookies & Cute Cookie Press 士多啤梨朱古力脆片曲奇 & (曲奇噴射器<-一個很有霸氣的名字..)

Today's post is bilingual, my crappy English meets SC's dubious Chinese. Heheheh.
It's SC's debut interpreting my posts into Chinese or writing the Chinese version in his own style. Please give him a warm welcome~!

大家好, 大家有睇開Rita個Blog都應該知道我係邊個.

冇錯, 我就係SC(SOUS CHEF), 一個唔係太識煮野食既副廚.

由今日起, 我將會為大家寫個中文版, 希望大家鐘意.

小弟英文唔好, 中文又唔好, 如果有D咩寫錯, 請多多包涵!!

Look at these cuties. Aren't they the most adorably shaped cookie dough ever?

望落去就好似日本既櫻花一樣, 尤其用左黑底焗爐盆襯返出黎, 真係Sakura Sakura~..

Do you have a kitchen gadget that has been sitting around idly in your kitchen for a couple of years (!), lonely and unused?

I surely do. 

I got this cookie press as a birthday gift from a good friend, Sir A, a couple years ago. I kept promising myself to find a suitable recipe, and only managed to finally use it...yesterday evening. 

Procrastination is my first name, middle name and also last name :D

唔知大家屋企有冇D買左都未用既廚房用具呢? 我就咁啱咁蹺有一個. 係我既一個好朋友Sir A幾年前送比我的生日禮物. 我成日同自己講一定要揾到一個好正既曲奇食譜先去用佢, 無謂失禮嘛

攪到琴晚, 終於的起心肝試吓啦. 冇辦法啦, 我個名係叫做慢吞吞嘛..XD

It's supposed to be so easy to use...

望落去好似好易用..

...and it makes 12 different shapes of cookies! All cute and adorable!

仲可以整出12種唔同既形狀, 有D整到出黎仲好攪笑..

SC and I fiddled with it for a while and failed to produce good looking cookies numerous times! I almost gave up, but SC...being persistent as always, kept trying until he finally pressed beautiful looking flowers on the baking sheet.

我同SC試左好多次都失敗..(其實係因為大家都懶得去睇說明書..). 最後我都頂唔順, SC話比佢試吓. SC憑住無比既耐性 (其實佢頂唔順走左去睇說明書..). 最後都整到個好靚既櫻花出黎!!!

After finish baking...

焗完出黎後

Super duper cute pink cookies!
These ones don't have any chocolate chips though, the chocolate chips won't go through the cookie press.

真係好鬼可愛!

哩D係冇朱古力脆片的, 因為D朱古力脆片唔可以係個曲奇噴射器度噴出黎..

The strawberry cookie dough with chocolate chips were made into my favorite shape...

哩D冇用曲奇噴射器既就可以落朱古力脆片, 哩個曲奇塔係我最鐘意整既...the amoebas!

別名: 阿米巴變形蟲塔..
I used a random choco chip cookies recipe I found online, omitted the walnuts and vanilla essence, added strawberry essence and a touch of pink food coloring. These cookies are melt in your mouth, but I find them too sweet. The strawberry essence gives them this weird "artificial" flavor. Since they're not really good, I am not sharing the recipe here. Let me know if you have a good idiot proof cookie recipe ;)

我係求其係網上面揾到哩個曲奇食譜的, 自己改左小小野, 冇落合桃同雲呢拿香草精. 因為屋企有, 所以落左士多啤利香草精同紅色既食用染料. 整左出黎係入口即溶, 但係就甜左少少. D士多啤利香草精比左D曲奇士多啤利味, 但D味有D怪. 最後由於唔係咁好食, 我都係唔係度出食譜啦…最後, 如果大家有D咩好味曲奇食譜, 記得話比我知, 等我試吓.
The cookie press can be bought online from Amazon or you can also try finding it in kitchen/baking gadget shops around you.

個曲奇噴射器可以係Amazon 度買, 或各大廚房用具店都應該有

Tea Pairing Dinner at Lingnan Club

You've probably had many wine-pairing dinners, but have you had a tea pairing dinner? It's such a brilliant idea. There were many delicious dishes from Lingnan Club, each paired expertly with a tea from MingCha to complement, but I'm just gonna share my favorite things from the night.

Wild Chrysanthemum with White Peony Supreme, served in martini glasses.

How cool is that!

Black truffle from Abstoss World Gastronomy!


...which we sprinkled on some delicious goodies...


...such as on this stir fried lobster and albumen dish...


...and on this claypot traditionale.

Yum!

Another favorite dish from the night that I am craving right now...

...stir fried beef with walnuts. Super mega delicious! Tasty, tender, juicy!

And I got to eat the last piece which everybody normally wouldn't touch.

They're polite, I am shameless ;)


I forgot to take picture, but my favorite tea that night was the Phoenix Supreme Oolong, it's so fruity, almost sweet. Love it!

More pictures of the event can be viewed here.